Transient Global Amnesia: Related to OSA???

Thank you. I'll respond to this post when I can.
I am doing better.

Starlette

I'll try to document as best as I can. I've been filled in by Hubbs, Mom and family what occurred on the outside world. I'll try to be brief without creating a novel. My apologies for not getting back sooner. I've delayed in responding unsure of how to respond. As stated before Rosacar, I did read your thread, I wished my TGA moment would have gone as smoothly and uneventful as yours. Mine did not.

WHAT LEAD UP TO THE EVENT:
Sunday morning, I got up like any other Sunday. Went to church and then off to Target to get a gift for my niece who recently had a baby (location of Mother's Day party). Putzed around the house then went to party. However, since the time I had gotten up my breathing felt a little off. Like I couldn't fully inhale.

THE EVENT:
At the party, we visited with people then had dinner. During this time, the shortness of breath (not being able to fully inhale) was intensifying. I began to panic. I went to the bathroom coming out calling out to Hubbs to PLEASE take me home that I wasn't feeling good holding my stomach telling him I wasn't breathing right. After that, my memory stopped recording for approximately seven hours.

AMBULANCE, THEN OFF TO ER:
TGA Moment:
My brother picked me up and carried me to our car so Hubbs could take me to ER. During this time I kept calling out that both hands felt different, fully tingly “My hands, my hands”. My hands wouldn’t stop the tingling. Niece asked Hubbs if she could call 911, the ambulance came and took me to ER.
Hubbs told me that I was seen by four different doctors and in two different rooms, I have no recollection. The last doctor I was seen by (this I do remember) gave me a memory test: Told to me to remember four words (I tried to associate the four words with items in the ER), we talked for a while, then he asked me to give him back the four words and I couldn’t. After which I was released under the diagnosis of TGA. Hubbs took me home. I came in and out of memory on the way home. I fed the family dog (I remember). I think this was the initial moment my memory started coming back and went to bed. I have no recollection of the ambulance or the ride to the ER or my stay in the ER.

Blood pressure with paramedics: 190/85
Blood pressure at ER: 170/?? It started to go down

I never felt my brother touching my body to carry me to the car, I could only hear him in the background saying, “Open the door, I can’t carry her much longer!” Nor did I feel the paramedics touching my body or aware of their presence, or ride in the ambulance, nor the arrival to the ER. I do recall hearing my Mom briefly talking to me to calm down. Nor was I aware of the hospital staff doing that test with my heart, preparing an IV on my arm, nor anyone taking my vitals.

My Mom told me that beads of sweat were on my face and that I was perspiring. When the ambulance arrived they were asking me questions. I was having a tough time getting the words out. Mom said the left side of my face was beginning to look like it drooping, while someone else (brother?) said it appeared I was having a stroke.

My brain was functioning like shutters of a camera, in and out. During this whole time, there was only five times that I was consciously aware of my surroundings:
1) In the car and my Mom briefly talking to me and my brother’s telling someone to open the door.
2) Someone stating that they had given me a CAT scan in the ER. All I could do is hear the voice somewhere in the room saying that. I didn’t feel them do this procedure, nor any knowledge of this room.
3) The last doctor talking to me giving me the memory test, gave me the diagnosis. I don’t recall being released, dressing myself or walking to the car to go home.
4) My sister and her daughter also came in the room. I was briefly aware of their presence. I wasn’t aware they were asking me questions also. I was later told that the more questions they would ask my blood pressure would rise. So they thought it would be better for me if they left the room.
5) The ride home. I remember texting MIL, but I told Hubbs to call her when we got home. I vaguely remember talking to my Mom on my smartphone saying that we were on our way home. I have no recollection of how I got into my car.

I was aware of family members around me and who they were. I was told I talked to them. No recollection.

QUESTION & ANSWER TIME:
Long term memory was present: I was asked my name, address and phone number, if I was married, I answered those questions correctly. I also told whosoever of the family dog, Sabu. What was the name of the president? I told them a black man, I didn’t know his name. What year was it? I said 2011.

I was told I was very talkative at this time, I would ask question after question after question. I did the same thing as you did Rosacar.
My questions:
What was today’s date? They finally wrote the date on the board so that the next time I asked, then I’d be told to see the board. I vaguely remember seeing the date on the board.
Why was I here? How did I get here? What day was it? A few seconds later I would repeat the questions over and over.
Who took off my clothes? Where was my bra and top? I guess Hubbs (I vaguely remember this) reached from under the table it seemed and showed me the bag where my shirt, bra and jacket were.
What was today’s date? Shocked it was Mother’s Day! Really?
No clue that we were at my niece’s house for Mother’s Day dinner
Hubbs would repeatedly tell me of our trip to New Orleans. We did? No recollection of vacation.
He told me that we spent our anniversary (May 7th) in New Orleans? We did? He told me that I was pissed because I thought he had gone on vacation without me and had our anniversary without me too.
No recollection of helping my parents moving into their new house, nor me helping them move. Really? I was adamant that they never moved. Why didn’t anyone bother to tell me of this new news?
No recollection of my husband being in the hospital for 6 days. Really? He even showed me where a procedure was done on him. No remembrance.
No recollection of my Dad being in the hospital or nursing home facility for over 5 weeks, nor ER for him. Really?
Mother’s Day was also my Brother-in-Law’s birthday. No recollection.
Keep in mind most of these events occurred between late February to present.

No remembrance of:
Walking to the bathroom for urine specimen. Inviting Mom into the bathroom for a potty and poop.
- I would NEVER do that!!! She told me later that she “reluctantly” came in thinking I was going to pass out.
Standing in the room after CAT scan
I was standing, walking and talking during this time.
Signed the Consent for Treatment form. I saw the signature on the form and its definitely mine.

Hubbs requested that the ER give me something to calm me down. They gave me Ativan intravenously. According to Hubbs, it really didn’t seem to work.

Monday 05/14/12
I went to see my Primary Care Physician. I was referred to a Neurologist which has been scheduled for June 7th.

Tuesday and Wednesday went OK. I felt like myself.

Thursday 5/17/12
Blood Pressure: 181/85, then it started to go down
The breathing symptoms began again. I wasn’t going to wait. Called my parents and asked them to drive me to my doctor’s office which was during lunch. The doors were closed and locked. I couldn’t wait. I asked them to take me back to ER. This time located by my house. This time I was fully aware of what was going on. The extra test they gave me was a CAT scan of my chest with coloring to make sure there were no blockages since I told them I felt pressure the top part of my rib cage. All tests proved normal. Toward the latter end, the ER doctor contacted my Primary Care Physician.

CONCLUSION:
Mid April: I had gone to see my Primary Care Physician partly because of my continuous state of fatigue/stress: Parent’s move, Hubbs in ER two days in a row/hospital for 6 days and all the events with my Dad. She had prescribed me Citalopram. I refused to take it. 2nd time I was in ER (Thursday 5/17/12) ER doctor suggested that I begin taking the Citalopram. Treating my symptoms as Anxiety. I started taking Citalopram (20 mg) yesterday (Friday 5/18/12) starting with half pill for a week then whole pill after first week followed by a follow-up appointment with Primary Care Physician in three weeks. ER physician also prescribed my Lorazepam (generic for Ativan, 1 mg) in case the breathing episodes happen again. He told me this would get me over the hump till the Citalopram kicks in. Parents, Hubb’s parents, and Hubbs feel good about the diagnosis and treatment. Me? I suppose. I just NEVER want to go through this again.

This week, my body still feels out of sorts in different ways. Honestly, I currently don’t feel like me prior to Sunday 05/13/2012. I’ve been journaling how I feel for when I see the neurologist June 7th. I asked my parents to go with me to this appointment to fill in the blanks during my episode with Transient Global Amnesia. Hubbs still wonders if I did have a mild stroke. Like I told him, ALL tests proved normal.

Thus ends my story with Transient Global Amnesia.

Starlette

NOTE: I REALLY did try to not make this lengthy

Hi Stalette

Indeed you had a good one, wow. I read one of the supposed causes of the TGAs could be stressful situations, but nobody really know the cause of that.

The things you did seems different to what I did and lived.

You seem to have been on a stressful time. The other thing is your pressure was little high, but if they did a test to rule out a stroke (the CT scan) that's good. I had in the hospital: a lungs Xray (I vaguely remember going from the stretcher to stand in front of the machine), a CT scan of the brain (they were not sure if it was something on the left side or if that was a shadow or glitch so I stayed the night in the hospital's high emergency area on a terrible bed), I was connected to an Oximeter, blood pressure monitor, heart monitor, and with a needle already installed in case I needed medication.

I was able to remember some things like the Provincial Prime Minister name (it's not Barak Obama, it is Jean Charest LOL), the year I was born, not 100% about the if Saturday or Sunday, not able to remember 3 words I needed to remember, not able to know the date of that day or the month, nor able to spell backward a word (not abnormal LOL). My blood pressure was high, I had stop-start-stop the medications because my blood pressure had gone low (the exercise and CPAP ?). I didn't do anything too estrange or unusual other than forget small details or what I had done that day. For exemple I couldn't remember I have been told my brother had let a message on the answering machine, or that I had sent him an e-mail days before. No, not the same level of distress you had, I'm sorry because I know that's a very challenging situation.

I stayed the night in the hospital because of the CT scan result and they wanted me to pass a MRI of the brain before leaving, that hospital is very good on neurology. I went out of the hospital the Sunday (I went in on Saturday) with the following list of test to pass: brain RMI, brain EEG, carotids ultrasound, heart ultrasound and heart monitoring 24 hours. The reason they were able to make the TGA diagnostic is because I had a witness, the neurology specialist asked me to meet the witness for questions. I was asked if I had fainted that day, if I had hit my heat and loss consciousness in my whole life, had epilepsy spell (or people with epilepsy in the family even the cousins), had made a high fever while a kid, had encephalitis while kid, had lived a stressful situation lately, be preoccupied. NOTHING of that.

My family Dr. (it's not a marvel I need to say) told me once (I'm not sure from where she had that conclusion) that my TGA was due to micro-strokes; I don't know from where that comes from, maybe because of the mysterious CT scan result. So, now I take an aspirin each day of the rest of my life and the neurologist told me I needed to be sure my pressure stays controlled, he repeated I needed absolutely to monitor my blood pressure and it needed to be PERFECT, that's the word he used.

This is my story Starlette, I don't know if you are scheduled for more tests, the neurology specialist wanted to be 100% the possible causes were ruled out but he added he was pretty sure all was going to be normal.

I hope that was your first and last TGA and if there is a reason the Dr could find it and put all under control. Try to stay calm, that could help in case it was due to stress.

Take care Starlette.

Rosacer

In spite of what you just went through, your mind seem to be working very well now.

While I have no idea of what is going on, I want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Here is where I am supposed to say something thought provoking and profound, but I have nothing. Sorry.

My cousins husband experienced something like this during combat, but back then it was just called battle fatigue.

I hope you continue to improve.